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(No Model.; 2 sheets-sheet 1.A

J.-.BURNIS.

Steam Trap.

- No. 230,233. Patented July 20,1380."

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JH/v BURNS,

NJERS. PHOTO L|TMOGRAPHEFL WASHINGTON. D4 C (No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 2^. J. BURNS.

Steam Trap.

No. 230,233. I Patented July 20,1880.Y

vUNTTED STATES PATENT rtree..

JOHN BURNS, OF TROY, NEI/V YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF OF HIS RIGHT TO THEODORE E. HASLEHURST, JESSE B. ANTHONY, AND STEPHEN E. BABCOCK, OF SAME PLACE, ONE-SIXTH TO EACH.

STEAM-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming* part f Letters l:Patent NO. 230,233, dated July 20, 1880.

Application filed May 171, ISSQ. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN BURNs, of Troy in the county of Rensselaer and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Traps,.of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of steamtraps that are used for the purpose of automatically returning to Athe boiler the water 1c produced by the condensation of steam in pipes, radiators, &c.; and it consists of the continuously actingg-steam trap herein described, in which is embraced chambers for receiving the water of condensation, attached to opposite ends of a vibrating frame or beam adapted to operate by the difference in the weight of the water in the oppositely-located chambers, in conjunction with shifting weights, as herein setforth,commu nication bein gformed 2o with said chambers by means of independent steam and water pipes containing valves f'or controlling the admission of the steam and water into said chambers, said valves being automatically operated by the oscillations of the vibrating beam without the aid of any other valve-movin g mechanism, the said steam and water pipes and the outlet-pipe being provided with a system of check-.valves for preventing the steam aud water from passing through 3o such part of said pipes as would prevent the trap from properly performing its functions.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and to which reference is herein made, Figure l is a side ele- 3 5 vation of my improved trap with one of the side frames broken awa-y to expose the underlying parts; Fig. 2, a plan view ofthe vibrating frame, steam and water pipes and valves, and the water-chambers; Fig. 3, an enlarged 4o and detached longitudinal section of the water-supply pipe and valves; Fi g4, an enlarged and detached longitudinal section ofthe steamsupply pipe and valves, and Fig. 5 a plan view of the vibrating outlet pipe and valves.

As is illustrated in the drawings, A is an open frame or beam, arranged to vibrate on the knife-edg'e centers a in openings inthe upper part of the gallows-fra-mes B. Near one side of said vibrating beam the pipes and valves for the admission of water into the 5o trap are arranged. These consist of the following .partsz A stationary water-supply pipe, C, which is connected to the waste-pipes of the radiators, Sac., and passes into the valvechest D through a stuffing-box, d, and termi 5 5 nates within said chest in the headc, whose center corresponds to the pivotal center of the vibrating beam A. Said head is held stationary, and is provided with an opening, c, through which the water iiows into the valve- 6o chest. The head c is smaller than the bore of the chest D, to form a passage for the water between them. A recess is made in the head c for holding the valve c2, which is free to move outward to seat itself properly over the 6 5 ports, but is held by the recess from belng moved by the oscillations of the chest. The said valve must be long yenough to cover both of the ports d when the beam A is level or at the middle of its movement. Each of the 7o ports d communicates, as shown in'Flg. 3,A with one of the check-valves'E, so that when either of said ports is opened the pressure of the water that passes through the open port will raise the valve of the eorrespondin g eheck- .7 5 valve from its seat. l

Near the opposite side of the beam A an arrangement of pipes and valves similar to the 'one just described, but designed for the admis sion ofsteaminto thetrap, is placed. Itconsists of a stationary steam-supply pipe, F, which enters the valve-chest G through the stuffing-box g, and is provided with the headf, having the opening` f and carrying the valve f2 in a recess, as hereinbefore described in regard to the valve c2. The valve-chest G is provided with ports g', which communicate beneath the valves ofthe check-valves H. The arrangement and construction of the said steam pipes and valves are like those for the water, ex 9o cepting the arrangement of the valve and ports in the valve-chests, and in this respect the two devices are arranged to work in directly opposite ways-that is to say, the arrangement is such that an open port in the valve-chest D always communicates with the elevated end of the water-pipe, and at the same time an open port in the valve-chest G will always communicate with the depressedend of the steam-pipe, and this relative arrangement, which will be fully understood by comparing Figs. 3 and 4, which exhibit theposition of the valves and ports of the water and steam pipes at the same inclination oli' the beam A, is essential to the proper working ot' my trap.

The water-pipe C and steam-pipe F extend through the vibrating beam A at each end, and are connected by the elbows I, to form a swing-joint with the T-pipe J, secured in the globular water-chambers K.

An outlet-pipe, L, is inserted in the bottom oi each of the water-chambers K, and is connected, to form a swing-joint, with an elbow, M, at each end oi' the vibrating outlet-pipe N, thatis arranged below the chambers K and adapted to move coincidentally with the vi' brations ofthe beam A. The pipe N is iitted with two check-valves, a, opening toward the hollow standard O, and with the cross-pipe u', which is provided with openings in its pe riphery, which communicate with the opening ofthe hollow standard O; and the said crosspipe is adapted to receive a rocking motion in the head ot' said standard to suit the vibratory movements ofthe pipe N. An outlet-pipe, P, is attached to the hollow standard O, and is connected to the pipe through which the water is conveyed from the trap to the boiler.

Above the vibrating beam A, and attached thereto, there is a trough, Q, in which are placed the balls R, which serve as shifting counterweights for maintaining th e chambers Kin their elevated positions until each chamber has, in its turn, received the amount of water required to overcome the gravity of its counter-weight. An elastic cushion, (j, iiXed at each end ofthe trough Q, noiselessly receives the impact of',

the balls t when they roll to either end ofthe trough, and a transverse partition, q', in the middle of the trough, prevents each ball from passing that point.

An automatic air-valve, S, of the common and well-known construction, should be in serted in each oi' the water-chambers K, to prevent an accumulation of Iair in said chambers l'rom interfering with the proper working of the trap.

In order to correctly determine the quantity of water that passes through the trap, a registering device, T, (similar in construction to those used on gas and other' meters, but adapted to record either weights orquantities ot' water,) may be attached to the trap and be operated by the vibrations of the beam A. through the eonnectingrod t.

rlhe operation of my trap is as follows: rlhe Water-supply pipe C is connected to the wastepipe of the radiators, &c. The steam-supply pipe F is connected to a steam-pipe from the boiler, and the outlet-pipe l) is connected to a .feed-pipe leading to the boiler and provided with the usual check-valve. rlhe water, as fast as it is condensed in the radiators and pipes,

is impelled, by the pressure o t the steam be hind it, to enter the trap and pass into the chamber K, that is at the time in Aan elevated position. To reach the said chamber the water passes through the port d', that is at that time moved out from under the valve cl by the vibration ofthe beam A. When a sufficient quantity of water has entered the elevatcd chamber K to overcome the resistance ofthe weight llt, that is at the opposite end ot' the trap, the i'ull chamber sinks down. the beam A and pipe N rock on their pivotal centers, and the empty chamber is thrown up into its elevated position. By the vibration of the beam A the port d', that communicates with the now elevated (empty) chamber, is opened to allow the water to flow into said chamber, and at the same time the port g', that communicates with the now depressed (full) chamber, is opened to permit the pressure ot' steam from the boiler to force the water out of said chamber into the boiler.

Simultaneously with the vibratory movenient of the beam A thevballs R change their positions in relation to the ends and center of the trough Q. As soon as the depressed chamber is emptied and the elevated one is filled the beam A again rocks on its centers a, and the operation above described is repeated, and the trap continues to act automatically as long as the supply of water and steam is maintained.

It will be seen that by means of' the two chambers K, placed at opposite ends ot' a vibrating beam and arranged so that one tills while the other is emptying, my trapnvorks with a continuous action instead of an intermittent one, like those that are commonly used for the same purl'iose-that is to say, in my trap while one of the chambers is being illed the otheris being emptied, and by alternating in this manner a continuous action is maintained.

By proportioning the weight of the balls R to the capacity of the chambers, so as to obtain the delivery of an exact and known quantity of water into the chambers at each vibration of the beam A, a perfect record l'l the quantity oi water fed into a boiler may be obtained by the registerin device T, and for this reason my trap will be an effective and valuable appliance for determining the quantity of water evaporated by a known quantity of fuel.

By the arrangement of check-valves E, H, and u herein lshown and described, the steam is prevented from forcing the water out ofthe depressed chamberin any other direction except the one leading through the outlet-pipe P to the boiler.

Then preferred, the partition q may be left out of the trough Q), and a single shifting weight, 1t, may then be used instead of the two herein shown and described; but in this 1n odication the weight will shift from one end ot' the trough to the vopposite end.

That I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. rlhe vibrating frame or beam A, provided IOO IIO

valve-chests D and G, provided with the ports el and g', as herein described-that is to say, that arrangement of said parts that is adapted to permit the water to iiow into one of the water-chambers K while the steam flows into and forces the Water out from the oppositelylocated Water-chamber, as herein specified.

3. In a steam-trap, the Water-chambers K, attached to the pipes C and F (ofthe vibrating frame or beam A) and to the vibrating pipe N by means of swingingjoints, as herein described, in combination with the valve-chests D and G, provided with the ports d and g and adapted to vibrate on the stationary valves c2 and f2, as herein described, and one or more shifting weights, R, as and for the purpose herein specified.

JOHN BURNS.

Vitnesses WILLIAM H. LOW, D. H. HUMPHREY. 

